Sofa-bed.



Patented Aug. 2|, |900.

No. 656,16l.

F. BENNETT.

SOFA BED.4

(Application med June 16, 1900.)

(No Model.)

NITE TATES FREDERICK BENNETT, OF NEW YORK, N. Y., ASSIGNOR TO THE HALEda KILBURN MANUFACTURING COMPANY, OF PENNSYLVANIA.

SOFA-BED.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 656,161, dated August21, 1900.

V Application filed June 16,1900. Serial No. 20.503. (No model.)

T tu whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, FREDERICK BENNETT, of the city of New York, Kingscounty, New York, have invented an Improvement in Sofa- Beds, of whichthe following is aspeciiication.

My invention has reference to articles of furniture having recliningbacks; and it con-4 sists of certain improvements fully set forth in thefollowing specification and shown in Io the accompanying drawings, whichform a part thereof.

The object of my invention is to provide a means for counterbalancingvthe adjustable or reclining-back cushions in Morris chairs,

I5 sofa-beds, duc. In articles of furniture of this class the back isjointed to the seat cushion or body and is lowered into a horizontalposition more or less inclined or as in converting a sofa into a bed.Such a struct-ure is shown zo in Letters Patent to II. S. Hale, No.595,913, dated December 2l, 1897. As the cushions are quite heavy, it isdesirable to reduce the labor of shifting and lifting them whenreadjusting the back into an upright position,and

it is with this my invention has to deal.

In carrying out my invention I provide the guides on the main frame withracks,and with these pinions mesh and rotate shafts carried with thecushions. Upon the shafts are 3o springs which are put under tension bythe rotation of the shafts during the act of lowering the back-cushion.When the cushions are to be shifted and the back-cushion raised, thesesprings assist in overcoming theweight.

I also provide means for locking the shafts from further rotation aftera given number of revolutions, which enables the springto be wound tothe desired tension prior to putting the cushions in Working conditionin, the

4o main frame, so that after the back-cushion has been fully raised thesprings are still under strong tension. Also this means limits thepossible rotation of the pinions,and therefore does not allow thesprings to cause them to work out of the racks no matter how great thetension of the springs may be, thereby enabling avpower to be exerted bythe springs which would almost lift the full weight of the back andshift the seat-cushion, reducing pro- 5o portionally the labor ofshifting the cushions by hand.

My improvements will be better understood by reference to the drawings,in which- Figure lis a sectional side elevation on line 1 1 of Fig. 2,showing my invention as applied 55 to a sofa-bed. Fig. 2 is alongitudinal sectional elevation of same on line 2 2 of Fig. 1. Fig. 3is an elevation of the pinion and racks; Fig. 4, an end elevation of thelocking mechanism for the spring-shafts; Fig. 5, a side ele- 6o vationof same; and Fig. 6, aseetional elevation of the shaft, pinion, andguide-roller.

A is the main frame and is provided on its ends with the end frames orarms B B. The end frames are each provided with a horizontalguide-supporting rib c, a horizontal guide-groove E, and an obliqueguide E, connecting with the groove E at the bottom.

C C are respectively the seat and back cushions and are flexibly unitedat C2, so that 7o the back-cushion C may be turned up so as to assume anoblique'position relatively to the seat-cushion C,`whichremainshorizo'ntal. The backcushion has the middle portion of its endsprovided with guide-rollers'L, which 75 work in the obliqueguide-grooves E, and its forward side edges with brackets F, in whichare journaled shafts, G, having on their ends pinions d. andguide-rollers f, the latter working in the horizontal grooves E. 8o

D D are racks with which the pinions CZ Work and are arranged on the endframes along the lower edges of the guide-grooves E'.

The two shafts G G extend toward each other and are journaled at theirinner ends in brackets M, carried on the back-cushion frame.

HH are springs coiled about the shafts G G, one end being secured to thebrackets F and the other end to the shafts. These springs 9o are coiledin opposite directions on the two shafts for obvious reasons. Theextreme 1nner ends of the two shafts G G are screwnuts have hooked oroverhanging ends which lock over the pins or projections I I on theThese Ioo shafts G and limit the possible unwinding of the springs androtation of the shafts and their pinions. This prevents the pinions fromrunning beyond the racks D at the juncture of the grooves E and E. Theplates K are adjustably secured to the brackets M by clamping-bolts m,which permits the iirst adjustment of the nuts on the shafts. After theshafts have been fully rotated and the pinion and guide-rollerfare atthe lower end of the guide-groove E the nut J will be in the positionshown in Fig. 5 and Will lock the pin I and with it the shaft G. Theunwinding tendency of the spring causes the cushions to be movedbackward with freedom and without much labor, and this same actioncauses the rear end of the cushion O'to be raised by means of itsrollers L L working up in the oblique guide-grooves E. When the cushionsare moved fully back, the locking projection S drops back of the frontrail of the main or body portion and locks the cushions againstaccidental displacement.

While I prefer the construction shown, the details thereof may bemodified without departing from the essential features of my invention.

Having now described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire tosecure by Letters Patent, is

1. In an article of furniture the combination of the main frame and endframes having oblique guides, a movable back-cushion having guiderollers or projections at or about the middle of its ends working in theoblique guides, horizontal racks, pinions meshing with the racks, shaftscarrying the pinions and journaled on lthe back-cushion so as to moveit, and springs having one end attached to the shafts and the other endto the cushion, whereby the tendency of the spring to unwind rotates thepinion and assists in shifting the cushions.

2. In articles of furniture the combination.

of the main frame and end frames having oblique guides, a movableback-cushion having guide rollers or projections at or about the middleof its ends working in the oblique guides, horizontal racks, pinionsmeshing with the racks, shafts carrying the pinions and journaled on theback-cushion so as to move it, springs having one end attached to theshaft and the other end to the cushion, whereby the tendency of thespring to unwind rotates pinion and assists in shifting the cushion, andlocking mechanism to lock the pinions and their shafts against rotationafter a given number of revolutions.

3. In an article of furniture, the combination of the main frame and endframes having oblique guides, a movable back-cushion having guiderollers or projections at or about the middle of its ends Working in theoblique guides, horizontal racks secured to the end frames, pinionsmeshing with the racks,shafts carrying the pinions and journaled on theback-cushion so as to move it and having screw-threaded ends, springshaving one end attached to the shaft and the other end to the cushion,whereby the tendency of the springs to unwind rotates the pinions andassists in shifting the cushion, and locking mechanism to lock thepinions and their shafts against rotation after a given number ofrevolutions, consisting of locking-nuts working on the screws, andguides for the nuts to prevent them rotating. l

4. In articles of furniture, the combination of the main framestructure, a shifting backcushion guided on the main frame from anupright to a horizontal position and vice versa, a rack secured to themain frame structure, a pinion meshing with the rack, a shaft secured tothe pinion and carried in bearings connected and moving with thecushion, and spring mechanism for rotating the shaft and pinion toassist in shifting and raising the back-cushion.

5. In articles of furniture, the combination of the main framestrueture,a shifting backcushion guided on the main frame from anupright to a horizontal position and vice versa, a rack secured to themain frame structure, a pinion meshing with the rack, a shaft secured tothe pinion and carried in bearings connected with and moving With thecushion, spring mechanism for rotating the shaft and pinion to assist inshifting and raising the back-cushion, and means to lock the shaft andpinion after the spring causes them to make a given number ofrevolutions.

In testimony of which invention I have hereunto set my hand.

FREDERICK BENNETT.

Witnesses:

A. F. OLD, W. M. ANDRUs.

IOO

